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MADRID -- Spain's La Liga, which includes Barcelona and Real Madrid, will start the 2011-12 season this weekend following a strike that postponed last week's scheduled season openers.

Spain's top two divisions were both postponed last week, but the strike ended Thursday after league officials reached an agreement to end the first players' strike in Spain since 1984. A major part of the agreement was payment of back wages to players, who can be released from their contracts otherwise.

The country's second division starts Friday, with La Liga opening on Saturday. La Liga also has matches Sunday and Monday, when defending champion Barcelona opens its schedule against Villarreal.